For the disclaimer look at chapters 1-4. So so soooo super sorry I haven't updated. Schools a meanie, math hates me, and fencing competitions truly do suck sometimes. Please enjoy my dears!
"Are we there yet, Jacks?" I asked.
"Liam, can you call Ma and ask her if we're almost there since this is the twentieth time Jazmine's asked?" Jacks sighed.
"Actually, that's twelfth time I've asked," I corrected, "I've been counting."
"Why were you counting?" Liam asked as he raised his phone to his ear.
"'Cause I'm bored and you two aren't telling me about this 'he' or these 'adventures' and these inside jokes you're telling," I whined. "I don't like being left out of things, Lilo, and you know it." My knee began bouncing up and down, making the dress wrinkle.
"Hey Mom," Liam greeted, a faint mutter responded. "We were wondering if we're almost at the restaurant yet; mostly because Jazzy keeps asking."
Another faint muttering from the other end before Liam answered, "Yeah, yeah, okay. I'll let them know. Bye Mom."
There was a short silence as Liam hung up, "So," I asked, "what'd she say?"
"Make a left then a right then we'll be there," Liam quietly said.
"Lilo what's wrong?" I hesitantly asked.
"Nothing's wrong," he said, a small chuckle leaving his lips, "the people we're supposed to meeting just has me awed."
"Who're we meeting?" Jackson asked before I could.
"Can't say in front if Jaz," Liam answered, "Mom had to force Lily into singing and covering her ears before telling me, so therefore we'd have to do the same for Jaz and we both know that isn't something she could be forced to do."
Jackson took a small glance at me and Liam before smiling, "Even if we could manage it we both know that she'd find a way to catch the names."
"Yeah, our Flower will always find a way to get what she wants," Liam agreed turning slightly to look at me and smile.
I fondly rolled my eyes as a smile crept up my face, "Ugh, not even a hint?"
Liam laughed, "Not from me, no."
I groaned and carefully put the heels back on my feet as Jackson carefully pulled into a parking spot in front of Jacques' Place.
"Oh," I gasped.
Liam raised an eyebrow as he opened my door for me, "What is it?"
"Well, for one, Jacques' Place is expensive so either one of us two families is bragging or trying to impress the other. Two, I know Jacques, and three, I feel really underdressed," I listed.
"You aren't," Jacks assured me as I slipped my hand into his, "now let's head in."
The three of us walked to Dad's car to see if they were ready before we went in.
"You guys ready?" Jacks asked.
"Let's go see if the Ed-," Father was cut off by Mom elbowing him in his side, making it seem like an accident by adjusting her dress. I giggled quickly noticing, Mom gave me a quick wink before Father began speaking again. "Let's go see if the Dean and his family are here."
He lead us to the door, Jacks opened the first and we all politely said thanks before dad opened the next. We once again all said thank you before we walked into the extremely classy restaurant.
"Hello Jacques," I politely greeted.
"Ah," Jacques said, looking at my outfit, forcing his smirk into a smile, "bonjour, mon amie."
I smiled back, pretending not to notice the looks of contempt that many of the older customers in the restaurant were sending my way.
"How's Mark?" I asked.
"He's doing better," he answered, "still don't understand how in the name of my favorite dish he ended up breaking his thumb, but he's doing better."
I chuckled, "He's a clumsy kid, it happens. To him, and possibly some overbalanced ballerina."
Jacques laughed and shook his head gently, scratching his chin, "So, what're doing here with the whole family tonight?" The question was obviously aimed towards my parents, so I slid over to Lilya so that my mom and father could talk to Jacques without having to worry that I'd overhear something.
"This is all your fault, Jazmine," Lilya snarled at me, keeping her eyes on her phone.
"What do you mean, Lils?" I hesitantly asked, turning my head slightly in her direction.
"The fact that we have to switch schools," she continued, "we were doing fine, I got the lead in the play, I'm popular, I was doing fine in all my classes-," I quickly cut her off.
"But science. You were doing well in all of your classes but science," I said, "okay now continue."
She glared at me, but still went on, "And then you decide that you need to have Jackson and Liam around you at all times. Why?"
I bit my lip as I straightened my dress, "I didn't decide that they needed to be around me at all times, they did. They'd had enough of seeing me getting pushed and shoved into lockers, getting my books smacked out of my hands, having to help me pull spitballs out of my hair, defending me from other kids when they ganged up on me, and-and I know they've certainly had enough of-of seeing me coming home black and blue when they couldn't be with me. So, I'm sorry, Lilya, that I can't be as popular as you are."
Lilya finally looked me in the eye. "Liar," she called me, "no one did any of those things to you. You would have told me, Jazmine."
I did my best to hold her gaze, even when I saw the hatred in her eyes, "I didn't tell you because the people doing those things to me were your friends. I didn't want to ruin your friendships, Sister."
"Hah, you really do have jokes," she said, "but you wanna know my favorite?"
I raised an eyebrow, "Um, I guess so?"
"Your life," was her simple answer. Her simple two word answer that caused tears to well in my eyes; her simple two word answer that made me stand up and walk over to Liam and Jackson and lay my head on Liam's shoulder and slip my hand into Jackson's.
The three of us sat in silence as we waited for the mystery guests to arrive. I heard the faint twinkle of the bell above the door before anyone else did, and looked up, subtly wiping the tears from my eyes, ignoring the looks my boys sent me, telling me that the silent conversation had barely begun.
I don't know who I was expecting to walk through those doors, but it most certainly was not Eli Edric. It was not the entire Edric family.
